From a macro view, I categorize wet spring snow in two ways: wet, clean snow and wet, dirty snow. Of course, there will be new falling or fallen wet snow, rain on new snow, and wet corn snow. They are not all the same. When the snow is new fallen and then the sun comes out or it rains on top of it, the excess water in the snow drains very poorly causing an extreme amount of moisture in the snow, more than one generally finds with corn snow (transformed snow) as water drains between the corn better. At some point, corn snow can warm to a critical point and then also become super-saturated with water. The bottom line though is that in all of these types of snow the main objective is to minimize suction from an excess of water between the ski and the snow and also consider how dirty the snow is.
This excess water can be managed by ski flex, structure, and lastly wax. To be effective, all 3 tools must be well utilized.
The Toko wax that is most effective in managing super wet snow is High Performance Liquid Paraffin Yellow.
HPLP Yellow can be skied on wet, it can be skied on having been let dry for 1-2 hours, or it can be skied on after having been let dry overnight. It can be applied over a soft wax such as yellow or over a hard wax such as blue. Here are some guidelines to assist you in getting the most out of this very effective wax.
If the snow is super wet but also very clean, your whole goal is in making the base as hydrophobic as possible. The night before the event, apply a layer of HP Yellow hot wax, scrape and brush it, and then apply the HPLP Yellow, let it dry overnight, and then reapply it as close to the start as you are able and ski on it without finishing it. This will be your most hydrophobic option.
If the snow is wet but not crazy wet like in the option above and the race is not a long one, then I’d recommend applying an HP Red/Yellow hot wax mix, scrape it and brush it and then a couple of hours before the start apply the HPLP Yellow and then simply ski on it.
If the snow is very wet but also quite dirty, the dirt needs to be addressed. The night before the event, apply HP hot wax Blue, scrape and brush it, and then spray the HPLP Yellow on leaving it on overnight. Brush it out before the race (anytime in the morning) with the Yellow LP Nylon Polishing Brush. The extra hardening time will make the wax job harder, more durable, and more dirt-resistant yet still very hydrophobic. This is also a good application method for longer wet snow races.
Good luck in your spring races!
Ian Harvey, Toko USA
